The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-07-29

az "Ihe hamptOnS," taxing AOF MS tOplC
"Christ, the Shepherd" His text was:
We can not until all the hOcks be gathered
together, and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then we water the sheep
Genesis, xxx, 8.
Al scene in Mesopotamia, beautifully
pastoral A well OF water Of great value
in that region. The fields around about it
white with three foczs Of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. I hear
their bleating coming on the bright air
and the laughter Of young men and
maidens INDUCING in rustic repartee. 1
look of and 1 see other hocks of sheep
coming. Meanwhile, Jacob, a stranger,
OF the interesting errand looking for a
wife, comes to the well. "A beautiful
shepherdess comes TO the same well.
see her approaching followed by her
fathers flock OF sheep. It was memoir
able meeting. Jacob married that shep-
ardess The Bible account Of it is:
Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice
ana Wept-
It has always been a mystery to me
what he found to cry abOutl But before
that scene occurred, Jacob accosts the
shepherds and asks them why they post
pone the shaking OF the thirst Of these
sheep, and why they did not Immediately
proceed TO water them. The shepherds
reply to the effect:
tsWe are all good neighbors, and as a
matter of courtesy we wait until all the
sheep Of the neighborhood come up. Be
sides that, this stone on the Wells mouth
is somewhat heavy, and several OF us
take hold OF it and push it aside, and then
the buckets and the troughs are filed,
and the sheep are satisfied. We can not,
until all the frocks are gathered together,
and till we roll the stone from the welp s
mouth; then we water the sheep"
oh, this is a thirsty world Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet, nd
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is n cool, refreshing, satisfy
ingdraught We wander around and we
find the cistern empty. Long and
tedious drought has dried up the worlds
fountains, but nearly nineteen CEN
turies ago, a Shepherd, with a crook in
the shape Of a cross, and feet cut to the
bleeding, explored the desert passag OF
this world, and one day came across a
well thousand feet deep, bubbliug and
bright, and opales cent, and looked to the
north, and the south, and the east, and the
west, and cried out with a voice stron g
and musical that rang through the ages.
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
wateri
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around this gospel we'll. There are a
great many thirsty souls. / wonder why
the hoclSs Of all nations do not gather
am wondering about it, my text breaks
forth in the explanation, saying;
we can not, until all the hocxs DO gathered
together, and till they roll the stone from the
Wells mouth; then we water the sheep.
II herd OF swine come to a we'll they
angrlly jostle each other for the prece-
dence; If a drove Of cattle come to q
we'll, they hook each other back from the
water, but when flock of sheep come,
rrrh of than q hall ha
pointed, they only express it by sad
bleatiugs; they come together peace
fully. We want a great multitude to
come around the gospel well.
know there are those who do not like a
a crowd-they think a crowd is vulgar.
II they are oppressed for room in church
It makes them positively impatient and
belligerent We have had people perma-
nently leave our church because so many
other people come to it. Not so did these
oriental shepherds. They waited unit
all the fioclEs were gathered, and the more
hocks that came the better they liked it.
And so we ought to be anxious that all
the people should come. Go on into the
highways and hedges and compel them Il
come in. Go to the rich and tell them that
they are INDECENT without the Gospel OF
Jesus. Go to the poor and tell them the
aflueuce there is in Christ. GO to the
blind and tell them Of the touch that gives
eternal illumination. Go TO the lame and
toll them of the joy that will make the
lame man leap like hart Gather all the
sheep of Of all the mountains None Sc
50 torn Of the dogs, none so sick, none SC
worried, none so dying as to be omitted.
Why not gather great fiOckf All Brook
lyn in a flock; all New York in a flock; all
the world in a flock.
This we'll of the Gospel is deep enough
to put out the burning thirst of the Zoo,
1000 OF the race. Do not let the church
by spirit of exclusiveness, keep the
world out Let down all the bars, swing
open all the gates, scatter all the invita-
tious:
whosoever will, let him come.
Come, white and black. Come, red mar
Of the forest Come, Laplander, out o.
the snow. Come, Patagonian, out Of the
heat Come in furs. Come painting un
der palm leaves. Come one. Come all
Come now. As at this well Of Mesopo-
tamia, Jacob and Rachel were betrothed,
so this morning, at this we'll Of salvation
Christ our shepherd will meet you com
ing up with your long h0clxs Of cares and
Rnxieties, and he will stretch out his hand
in pledge of his affection, while all
Heaven win cry out:
Behold the bridegroom oometh; go 70 out "a
meet him.
You notice that this well of Mes opo-
tamia had stone on it, which
must be removed before the sheep
could be- watered; aud l find on the well
Of salvation to-day impediments and OBJ.
stacles which must DO removed in or
der that you may obtain the refres hmeut
and life of this gospel In your case the
impediment is pride Of heart You car
not bear to come to such a democratic
fountain; you do not want to come
with so many others. IL Is to YOU like
a In, To
as compared to sitting in a parlor slipping
out of a chased chalice which has just
neen lifted from a silver salver Not 81
many publioans and sinners. You want
to get to Heaven, but it must be in spe
cial car. with your feet on Turkish otto
man and band Of music on board the
train. You do not want to be in company
with rustic Jacob and Rachel, and to b'
drinking out of the fountain where ter
thousand sheep have been drinking before
you. You will have to remove tho -
stacle OF pride or never Ind your way tC
the we'll. You VIII have to come as we
came, willing TO take the water Of eter
nal life in any way, and at any hand, and
In any kind OF pitcher, crying out;
'Oh, Lord Jesus, am dying OF thirst
give me the water OF eternal life, whether
in trough or goblet; give me the water o
life; care not in what IL comes to me-"
Away with all your hindrauces Of prid,
from the Wells mouth.
Here is another man who is kept bacl
from this water Of life by the stone of al
obdurate heart which lies over the moutl
Of the we'll You have no more feeling
upon this subject than II God had yet Z
do you the first kindness, or you had Z
do God the first wrong. Seated on his lal
all these years, his everlasting arms shell
tering you, where Is your gratitude
Whore Is your morning and eveninl
prayerl Where is your consecrated lives
! say to you, as Daniel said TO Belshazzar
The God IN whose hand thy breath is, and al
thy way, thou has not glorined.